Linear time deterministic algorithm exists for selection. I read this link and the recurrence for a divide and conquer approach looks like: T(n) <= 12n/5 + T(n/5) + T(7n/10)
However, I don't understand why must it be T(7n/10). The link itself has mentioned that each half of the partition has size (3n/10), so the algorithm recurses on (6n/10). Even if we include the 5 elements from the group of the median of medians, the recursion is on (6n/10+5). I do understand that 7n/10 is a valid upper bound on the size of the recursion, but isn't it too weak an upper bound here?